


If two years ago someone had told Ellie Miller that Alec Hardy will become her best friend she would have laughed them in the face and walked away

by Dociro



Category: Broadchurch
Genre: Alternate Universe - College/University, Drunk Alec, Drunkenness, F/M, Fluff, Friends to Lovers, Friendship, Humor, I still can't write Broadchurch, Sharing a Bed, sorry about that title
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-07-08
Updated: 2017-07-08
Packaged: 2018-11-29 12:38:23
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,639
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11441037
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Dociro/pseuds/Dociro





	If two years ago someone had told Ellie Miller that Alec Hardy will become her best friend she would have laughed them in the face and walked away

If two years ago someone had told Ellie Miller that Alec Hardy will become her best friend she would have laughed them in the face and walked away.

 

Alec Hardy was a miserable sod who, despite being grumpy all the time and unable to communicate with people like a normal human being, stole the president position in the student club from her.

 

And she knew about the grumpy and unable part first hand, because she got the the deputy position, meaning that she had to work with him all the bloody time.

 

However, when her boyfriend turned out to be a bastard and all friends turned away from her like it was her fault, the only one who remained was Hardy.

 

He offered support in his awkward way, threw a lot of club related work on her so that she had something other than Joe to think about, and considering that every other person found Hardy annoying (with mutuality) he followed her everywhere. Weather he wanted it or not, she spent the majority of the time with him and started to think of him as a friend.

 

Ellie was quite surprised when Brian asked Hardy if he wants to go to the pub with him and a few other guys on Friday evening. She was even more surprised when she heard Alec's enthusiastic acceptance.

 

The sudden appearance of Alec Hardy's social life left her with a first in months Friday evening not filled with work and his grimaced face.  To be honest, she wasn't sure how to feel about it.

 

She came to her flat and started reading a book. When her eyes started dropping after about ten pages, she just decided to have an early night and went to bed.

 

Her vibrating phone woke her up a few hours later. The bright screen dazzled her, but she managed to read that it was Hardy. She looked at the clock and saw it was 2 in the morning. Miller tapped the accept button and said angrily. "You better have a good reason to wake me up in the middle of the night."

 

To her surprise Hardy giggled happily on the other side. "'Lo Ellie," he slurred a little and his Scottish accent was even thicker. "You busy?"

 

"I’ve just told you, you woke me. I'm busy with sleeping, yeah."

 

"Oh that's too bad," he said a worried tone creeping into his voice. "I hoped you could drive over and collect me. I guess I'll have to walk," he stopped for a moment and then added. "But I'm not sure in which direction, to be honest."

 

"Oh God you are pissed." Ellie laughed.

 

"'M not, Miller. 'M fine. Just... just a little lost."

 

"You totally are. Where is Brian and the rest of your new buddies?"

 

"They are not my new buddies, Ellie. They met some ladies and went somewhere, I don't know."

 

"And what? Ladies read you like an open book, saw that you are a miserable grump and left you?" She stood up and changed into a pair of leggings and old t-shirt.

 

"What? No! You think I'm a miserable grump, Ellie? I'm nice to you. We are best friends, aren't we? And I'll have you know that there was a woman, very interested in me. I think her name was Zoe? But I told her I already have my Ellie and I'm not interested."

 

She dropped the purse that she was holding in one hand. "Your what? What the fuck Hardy?"

 

"What?" He squeaked on the other end. "I didn't mean... I just... I..."

 

Ellie sighed. "You really are drunk."

 

"Will you come?" He asked quietly.

 

"Yeah, I'm getting out. Where are you?"

 

"Umm... I think it's called Anchor? Big, blue windows."

 

"Yeah, I know the place. I'll be there in 10 minutes. Don't wander off, knob."

\-----

When she arrived he was waiting on the corner next to the pub. When she called him, a big grin appeared on his face and he went in her direction, a little bit unsteady.

 

"God," Ellie laughed. "I'll so never stop teasing you about this evening. Get into the car."

 

"Thanks for coming, Ellie."

 

"You are going to buy me coffee for the next month for this. Also, I'm taking you to my apartment, I'm going to drag  you on the 3rd floor in your state."

 

"Okay."

 

"Your drunk version is much easier to interact with."

 

Hardy just giggled at that.

\-----

"You can take the sofa. I'll bring you a pillow and a blanket. Drink this," she nodded at the bottle of water standing on the table. "You know where the bathroom is."

 

When she walked in again she was greeted with Hardy in only his boxers and a t-shirt. There was something funny happening in her belly, she just threw the pillow on the sofa, turned around, gave him a weak 'goodnight' and went to her bedroom.

 

She didn't change into her pyjamas again. She just wanted to fall asleep as fast as possible, hoping that in the morning all the weird feelings to the man currently sleeping on her sofa would go away.

\-----

Of course, falling asleep seemed to be impossible. Ellie just tossed from side to side fully awake, with no perspective of sleeping soon. After an hour she heard a snap, and then an unmistakable sound of a body falling on the floor.

 

"Hardy?" she asked, but there was no answer. "Hardy, are you alright?" Yet again there was nothing. She was just going to stand up and check on him when a figure appeared in the doorway.

 

"I think I broke your sofa." He stated quietly. Ellie couldn't see his face, but was 100% sure he winced.

 

"It was a perfectly fine sofa, of course you would come and break it."

 

"No!" He whined, his brogue audible. "It was old, uncomfortable and falling apart. It wasn't my fault."

 

"It bloody was!"

 

"You hated it anyway!"

 

"That's no reason to come and destroy it!"

 

"Oh, come of it, Miller. I'll take a look at it in the morning or find you another one. I'll leave you now."

 

"Don't be ridiculous, you can't sleep on that broken sofa."

 

"I'll find a comfy place on the floor then."

 

Ellie groaned already regretting her next words. "Get your pillow and come sleep on the bed. Just don't get under the blanket. Knob."

 

To her surprise he didn't argue with her. She just heard a silent 'right' and a few moments later he was back and climbing into her bed.

 

There was an awkward silence and eventually she decided to break it. "Well, that's weird."

 

Hardy remained silent, so she figured he’d already fallen asleep. Ellie turned onto her side and decided to do the same thing finally. That was when she heard his silent voice. "Sorry for bothering you, Ellie,” there was a pause. “And for being the 'miserable grump'. I really thought you liked me."

 

"Because I do," she heard her say a little bit too fast. "You knob." She added not to sound too enthusiastic. "But the truth is, you are grumpy and rude most of the time."

 

"Not for you, though. Or am I?"

 

"Well, you are. But in a nice sort of way," there was silence again. She decided to continue. "Thanks, Hardy. For, you know, support and being you, and staying by my side when all the other people turned out to be just Joe's friends. Thanks for being the real friend I never thought you were going to be."

 

"So, I am you friend after all," she heard the smile in his voice.

 

"You are now, but you are still drunk and nice so I'll probably deny everything in the morning."

 

Alec Hardy giggled at that and Ellie's stomach made a funny thing when heard that sound. His next words just increased the feeling. "Can I have a hug? Well, cuddle, I guess."

 

She was silent for a moment, longer than she ought to, and that made him back out of it. "Or not. That was stupid, I just..."

 

He never finished it because, Ellie put her arm around his waist and her head on his chest silencing him effectively. He was still for a moment, but then he wrapped his arms around her and with a contented sigh nuzzled into her hair.

 

"Thank you, Alec." She whispered.

 

"You deserve only the best” he murmured back. "That loser Joe wasn't worth your time, there is someone out there, waiting for you."

 

"That nice, happy, drunk Scot earlier claimed that I'm his Ellie so, I guess." She shrugged and felt him tense.

 

"Yeah, about that, I'm sorry. That Scot didn't want to make you uncomfortable." He said sheepishly.

 

"Oh, I think I don't mind being his Ellie. I mean, if he was serious."

 

"Oh, he was, he was." He assured quickly.

 

"Good, in that case, Hardy?" She looked up at him.

 

"Yeah?" The first sun rays started creeping into the room and she could see the nervousness on his face when he looked at her.

 

She felt exactly the same when she rose a little to place a chaste kiss on his lips.

 

To her surprise he responded instantly by kissing her back. It was messy and certainly not what is considered a perfect first kiss, but it was perfect for her and she found that she was oddly at ease with this feeling.  

 

They continued kissing, Ellie’s hand somehow found its way to Hardy’s hair and was met with an approving purr. His scruff was softly scratching her and his hands were wandering all over her body.

 

When they stopped Ellie waited for the feeling of regret or panic, but it never came.

 

“Weird?” Hardy asked.

 

“No, it wasn’t, was it?”

 

“No.” He answered shortly.

 

“Good,” said Miller. “Shall we can continue, then?”


End file.
